Graig R. Meyer (born July 5, 1974) is an American politician serving as a Democratic member of the North Carolina Senate.[1] He has represented the 23rd district (which includes all of Orange, Caswell, and Person counties) since 2023. He previously served as a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives, where he was elected to the 50th district seat 4 times. In 2022, Meyer announced his candidacy for District 23 of the North Carolina Senate, that district includes all of Caswell, Orange and Person counties,[2] and was elected to that seat in November 2022.[3]
Early life
Meyer, the son of two politically engaged social workers, was raised in the inner city of Cleveland, Ohio.[4] He was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the College of Wooster, before going on to acquire a master's degree in social work from the University of Chicago.[5]
Career
Prior to joining the House, Sen. Meyer spent sixteen years working in public schools working primarily on initiatives designed to promote educational equity.[6] From 1998 through 2014, he was the coordinator of the Blue Ribbon Mentor-Advocate program. From 2012 through 2014, he also served as the Director of Student Equity for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools.[7] In 2018, Meyer co-authored More Than a Mentoring Program. The book offers real-world perspective and advice on challenging systemic racism in schools.[8]
When then-Rep. Valerie Foushee was appointed to the Senate in 2013, Meyer was selected by a local Democratic Party committee to hold the rest of her term.[9] He was reelected in 2014 and 2016, running against Rod Chaney in both elections.[10] He won a 2022 primary election for N.C. Senate with 84% of the vote.[11]
During his time in the legislature, Meyer has established himself as a strong advocate for improving public education.[12] In addition, he has worked as the founding Co-Chair of two bipartisan legislative caucuses, the Early Childhood Caucus and the Life Sciences Caucus. He has been recognized by both the League of Conservation Voters and the Young Democrats of North Carolina for his legislative leadership.[13]
Meyer also works as a co-founder and principal consultant with The Equity Collaborative, LLC.[14]
Electoral history
2022
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Graig Meyer | 23,717 | 82.38% | |
| Democratic | Jamie DeMent Holcomb | 5,072 | 17.62% | |
| Total votes | 28,789 | 100% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Graig Meyer | 59,973 | 67.30% | |
| Republican | Landon Woods | 29,140 | 32.70% | |
| Total votes | 89,113 | 100% | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
2020
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Graig Meyer (incumbent) | 35,901 | 100% | |
| Total votes | 35,901 | 100% | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
2018
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Graig Meyer (incumbent) | 23,292 | 62.11% | |
| Republican | Kenneth Price Rothrock | 14,210 | 37.89% | |
| Total votes | 37,502 | 100% | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
2016
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Graig Meyer (incumbent) | 27,278 | 57.28% | |
| Republican | Rod Chaney | 20,347 | 42.72% | |
| Total votes | 47,625 | 100% | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
2014
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Graig Meyer (incumbent) | 18,574 | 57.16% | |
| Republican | Rod Chaney | 13,920 | 42.84% | |
| Total votes | 32,494 | 100% | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
Committee assignments
2021-2022 Session
- Appropriations
- Appropriations - Information Technology
- Appropriations
- Education - K-12
- Homeland Security, Military, and Veterans Affairs
- Regulatory Reform
2019-2020 Session
- Alcoholic Beverage Control
- Education - K-12
- Homeland Security, Military, and Veterans Affairs
- Regulatory Reform
- Finance
2017-2018 Session
- Education - K-12
- Homeland Security, Military, and Veterans Affairs
- Finance
- Judiciary I
- Aging
2015-2016 Session
- Education - K-12
- Homeland Security, Military, and Veterans Affairs
- Regulatory Reform
- Finance
- Aging
- Public Utilities
References
- ^ "The Voter's Self Defense System".
- ^ "The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart. Retrieved 2022-01-21.
- ^ "Rep. Graig Meyer is to become next N.C. senator for District 23, per unofficial results". Daily Tar Heel. 2022-11-09. Retrieved 2022-12-03.
- ^ webmasters, NC General Assembly. "North Carolina General Assembly". www.ncleg.net. Retrieved 2018-07-05.
- ^ "Representative Graig Meyer". National Institute for Civil Discourse. 2016-01-12. Retrieved 2018-07-05.
- ^ "Representative Graig Meyer". National Institute for Civil Discourse. 2016-01-12. Retrieved 2018-07-05.
- ^ "About Graig". Graig Meyer for NC House. Retrieved 2018-07-05.
- ^ "IAP || Book || More Than a Mentoring Program". www.infoagepub.com. Retrieved 2018-07-05.
- ^ "CHCCS educator Graig Meyer named to House District 50 seat". newsobserver. Retrieved 2018-07-05.
- ^ "Graig Meyer - Ballotpedia". Retrieved 2018-07-05.
- ^ North Carolina State Board of Elections, North Carolina State Board of Elections. "5/17/2022 Official Primary Election Results". North Carolina State Board of Elections. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
- ^ Billman, Jeffrey C. "Graig Meyer - NC House District 50". Indy Week. Retrieved 2018-07-05.
- ^ "About Graig". Graig Meyer for NC House. Retrieved 2018-07-05.
- ^ "The Equity Collaborative | A national consulting firm focused on helping educational and youth development organizations". The Equity Collaborative. Retrieved 2018-07-05.
- ^ [1] North Carolina State Board of Elections.
- ^ [2] North Carolina State Board of Elections.
- ^ [3] North Carolina State Board of Elections.
- ^ [4] North Carolina State Board of Elections.
- ^ [5]North Carolina State Board of Elections.
- ^ [6]North Carolina State Board of Elections.
- ^ "Graig Meyer". Retrieved 2022-01-21.